The first F-16 fighter jets donated to Ukraine are on their way to the country and will be flying as part of its air force this summer, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said, marking a significant military boost for Kyiv.
The US-made jets from Denmark and the Netherlands were en route to Ukraine, Blinken said. Norway also announced it would also begin deliveries of six F16s to Kyiv this year as western allies stepped up their pledges of support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression,” Blinken said at an event on the sidelines of the Nato leaders’ summit in Washington.